Quite funny when you think about it.
Bike manufacturers and their marketing departments create a Hybrid bike not realising they'd been producing them for decades, even before they'd created the other half of the Hybrid form.
What do I need? Hybrid or Road?
- Thread starter Mikeyboy1107
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Quite funny when you think about it.
Bike manufacturers and their marketing departments create a Hybrid bike not realising they'd been producing them for decades, even before they'd created the other half of the Hybrid form.
mask it anywau you want to, its still a hybrid of two bikes road/mtb
I need one. I do the shopping on it, 2 panniers and rack fully loaded and it does my canal commute. My road bike cannot. I've seen this suggested before, to think I could be arsed to change wheelsets on a morning! I often don't make my mind up which way I am going to go, and therefore which bike to use, till I've opened the garage door and am inside.............If I was the OP I'd buy something like a Spesh Sirrus,a very versatile "only" bike. However, I'd agree with another poster, you can get 2 nice bikes (fun & worker) for £1k.
That's total bollocks. A cross bike is an off-roader pure and simple. The very recent (last 5 years?) trend for it to be used as a commuter, does not take away from the purity of purpose of the original design. And it has no overlapping traits from a MTB, if anything, MTBs were spawned from cross bikes.
Good for you.
Although agree with the others,bikes should be like underpants, different ones for different days
Understood, but like the OP it's a bit tricky to change bikes mid commute. I settled on Cannondale CAADX with quality components and I use it for almost everything. I have a Yeti Arc for pure offroading pleasure, but I wouldn't include that terrain on a commute route.
fudgepanda
Active Member
- Location
- Manchester U.K.
I'm wondering if the kind of brakes fitted to CX bikes, ie long drop or cantilever types as good at their job on the road as dedicated road brakes. I'm going to get my second bike in the new year (if mrs. f finds out I'm toast) so wondering if I should go for a road bike or a CX, despite the fact that most of my riding will be on tarmac. I wouldn't mind the flexibility of riding on tow paths and the like that different tyres and more clearance would give if the grounds a bit wet.
I'm in the same boat, part of my commute is on dirt tracks so going for a cyclocross. Having looked at all the options around a grand I'm going for either Genesis Vapour Disc or Croix de Fer. Boardman and Halfords can do one, they couldn't even tell me a rough release date for the new team CX, and there are none left in medium size from this year's model.
The brakes on mine are immense, honestly. They put the road bike brakes to shame. Only thing is you have to watch for crud building up on the block or rim, which is where I can see the discs are at an advantage. I've got stuff stuck in the brakes and had squealing come from it, I imagine it could wear out a rim pretty fast if you weren't careful.
That's the brakes on mine. I also have these...
These are really handy too if you're negotiating something a little tricky or you're down canal paths with dogs/peds and need to brake quickly. For example there is a rocky, quite steep descent which makes the bike quite twitchy going down and those brakes are invaluable for controlling your speed reliably.
CX bikes were designed and built for a specific discipline of cycling. A true cx bike won't even have eyelets drilled for a water bottle as you don't use them when racing cyclocross. How does that make it an effective hybrid? The fact people have realised they're cracking all round bikes and the manufacturers are now targeting that in their design (think tricross, tcx 2,3 etc. ) does not take away from what they were designed to do.
Stonechat
Guru
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex
When I bought my Claud Butler LEgend hybrid I had never heard of cross bikes.
THe bike is fine, heavier than the road bike I used years ago, maybe a road bike would've been a better choice
THe bike is fine, heavier than the road bike I used years ago, maybe a road bike would've been a better choice
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Not actually true. Cyclocross predates mountain biking by about 70 years. If anything, MTB is the hybrid as early ones had a touring triple drivetrain on a frame developed from the American "cruiser" style bikes.
This is precisely why I personally dislike the term "hybrid" as it's lazy marketing speak for any bike that doesn't fit neatly into the two most popular camps.
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Helidoc
Active Member
I have Avid Shorty 4 on my CX, and despite the reputation that Canti brakes have, I find them better than the dual pivot caliper on my road bike; powerful and controlable. The lever for the front is a bit spongy, as is the way with a properly set up Canti, but they are great.
D
fudgepanda
Active Member
- Location
- Manchester U.K.
Thanks for your replies Lesley and Helidoc. Lesley, are those Cantilever brakes? My only experience of those was on an old MTB which, in fairness, were pretty worn and old, but did seem very spongy, as Helidoc says above. But looking at them, they do look as if there'd be quite a lot of play in them as opposed to those on road bikes which seem to have very small tolerances and give the impression, at least, of being quick acting and able to keep a lot of pressure on the rim. I do like the idea though of having a second set of brake levers on top of the bars. I did once ride a "racer" with that kind of brake but they only worked because they were linked to the levers on the drops as opposed to having their own cables. I'm very impressed with the Shimano hydraulic discs on mine and they would be the preferred option if I get a a CX, although I do understand there's a weight penalty.
fudgepanda
Active Member
- Location
- Manchester U.K.
Had another thought on the subject of choices, I realise that certain groupsets are judged to be superior to others, but on road bikes there appears to be an increasing choice between higher spec 10 speed, such as Tiagra with 2 chainrings or (for example) Sora with 3. In other words 20 speeds as opposed to 27. I have Deore XT with 9 X 3, on my hybrid, but although I haven't so far, nor am I planning to ascend the Alps, I've only used the large chainring once so wondering if it's going to be superfluous on my next bike.
So, high spec gears with 2 chainrings, or lower spec and 3, one of which I probably won't use? I'm tempted to think Tiagra or 105 as opposed to Sora or 2300/2200.
So, high spec gears with 2 chainrings, or lower spec and 3, one of which I probably won't use? I'm tempted to think Tiagra or 105 as opposed to Sora or 2300/2200.
fudgepanda, they put my road bike brakes to shame to be honest. They are v-brakes. Cantilever brakes are often found on cx bikes and often complained about, that's why I avoided them, but I've also heard if you change brake pads in cantis for decent ones they can be good. The brakes on my cx have me stopped in an instant, which is what I needed when cycling on cycle paths etc with unpredictable peds and dogs. And we are talking on wet gravel too. I am stunned at how well the brakes perform. As I said the disadvantage is that crud builds up around the brake block if you're cycling somewhere mucky but as long as you are aware of it and deal with it, it's fine.
Personally, I would buy Tiagra or above every time if the wallet allows. Both my bikes have 105. I have a triple on my road bike and a compact on my cx.
Personally, I would buy Tiagra or above every time if the wallet allows. Both my bikes have 105. I have a triple on my road bike and a compact on my cx.
